By Any Other Name
by PaBurke
Summary: Logan has had to cobble together many different computers to keep his Eyes Only operation going, but one of them has a history and a connection to a deeper danger.


By Any Other Name

By PaBurke

Distribution: lj and here

Rating: G

Warnings: Characters that died long before, Characters dying now, Dark

Summary: Logan has had to cobble together many different computers to keep his Eyes Only operation going, but one of them has a history and a connection to a deeper danger.

Spoilers: Season Two of Dark Angel, after the finale. This is set way in the future for Supernatural, but spoilers only until Season 3.

Word Count: 1200+

*spn*da*

"Why are you in my database?" The voice was dark and smooth, low and toneless. Logan could feel the words binding his bones and sinews and the man hadn't even made a demand yet.

"I don't know what you're talking about," and because Logan wasn't sure, his mouth spoke the truth. The more he thought about it, the more he had a clue.

The man lurking in the shadows of Joshua's old house merely waited. He loomed over Logan. He had Joshua's build and similar long wavy hair, but there the similarities ended. He didn't move as freely as the friendly transgenic, he was much, much more guarded. Logan saw no hint of a smile. Logan couldn't see the man's eyes.

He wasn't sure he wanted to.

"My database?" the stranger prompted and this time Logan had to answer.

"I didn't do it on purpose."

"It's impossible to _stumble_ upon it."

"I was just running a search on prophecies and runes and the computer led me there."

There was a twitch in the shoulders that said that the man was interested in spite of himself. "Runes?"

Logan didn't answer. He figured that silence was his best defense.

"Tell me."

"By the computer are pictures." Logan had printed out enlarged copies to deliver to yet another contact.

The tall man kept to the shadows and still managed to overshadow everything and everyone in the room. He leaned over the pictures and shuffled through him. Logan glanced at the door. He should run while he….

"Stay."

He had been thinking for too long. He stood in place and waited as the man read through all the runes. "Fe'nos tol."

Logan blinked. "How did you get that from… those?"

"It's what I do." He started typing on the computer, testing firewalls and code-cracking algorithms. Logan was close enough to see him frown. "Nothing special. How did you get in?" The question must not have been for him, since Logan didn't feel the need to answer. The man took a step back and examined the entire set-up and it must have appeared familiar to him. "Where did you get that harddrive?"

"A friend found it. I don't know where."

He nodded and then started typing on the keyboard in a new window. Logan was close enough to read, 'Ash? Sam here.'

The cursor blinked several times and then 'Prove it' appeared in the same window.

Sam typed out his response quickly. 'You created this apparatus to apprehend the YED for Dean and me.'

There was an explosion of activity in the chat window, far too fast for Logan to follow, but he caught the gist of Ash's enthusiasm. Who was Ash? And how did he get linked to Logan's computer? And had he been helping? Or was Ash more of a 'what'? If he was a _part_ of the computer itself, it could be an artificial intelligence. Such a piece of pre-pulse technology had been invaluable to keeping his operation under wraps and ongoing.

Finally the computer slowed down and the stranger typed. He was running a search now, in his own database and obviously was getting further in the investigation. Logan tried to step forward to watch, but found that he still couldn't move.

The man finally finished and walked to Logan. He was flesh and blood, that much Logan knew. "I don't have time to deal with Fe'nos tol myself. I suggest that you take care of it before it requires my undivided attention. I've left you all the answers in simple step-by-step directions. Tell no one of me. If the problem increases, I'll be forced to deal with it and I might not be able to avoid… collateral damage.

"I don't think you can afford that, Mr. Cale."

Logan knew that he couldn't. What would happen to Max and the transgenics? What would happen to Seattle? The stranger left as Logan considered all that was at risk. It was some time before Logan realized that he was still standing in the middle of Joshua's house. About then, he could move around a bit. He still had no desire to leave the house for days afterward.

He conducted all business via the computer, and though he was watching carefully for any anomalies, he didn't notice any assistance or resistance from 'Ash.'

Logan passed the information the stranger had given him to the transgenics. They reported back with successes as they could now kill members of the cult. The stranger had given Logan a formula to dip bullets in and the cult appeared to be fatally allergic to it.

Logan never saw the stranger again and for that he was pleased.

The transgenics weren't so lucky.

*spn*da*

Someone had gotten through the picket lines. He/She/It was killing transgenics as it made its way to the central HQ. The first assumption that it was a cult member there to exact revenge was wrong: the special bullets had no affect on the shadow stranger.

Finally he stepped out of the shadows in the HQ building. He stepped out as Max and Alec stood side-by-side to face him. They had not survived Manicore and the cult and the normals to die now. They would defend their troops.

He smiled in response, not the cold, cat smile he had been previously using that surpassed anything seen in Manicore or by the Familiars. The smile brightened his whole face and lightened the hearts of those observing.

"Dean?" he said to Alec.

Hope. Apology. Sorrow. Shame.

The feelings might have well been tattooed on his forehead. Alec knew that this was a case of mistaken identity but wasn't sure how to take advantage of it.

"How long have you been out? _How_ did you get out?" Now this very powerful man looked like someone had kicked his puppy. "Why didn't you come see me?"

"I couldn't," Alec's mouth said. Alec hadn't planned on saying that.

The tall, powerful man stepped close and watched Alec carefully. "Are you trapped in that body, Dean? I can get you out and get you another one. Or if you like the body, I can burn out the previous resident so you can step forward. He does look a lot like you, a young you."

"Sammy!" Again Alec's mouth spoke without him thinking. It chided the stranger; used his name.

Sammy got a stubborn tilt to his chin. "My name's Sam. I don't care who it hurts as long as I get you back, Dean."

"That's what I had heard, but I didn't believe it." Alec reached for the strange antique gun that he had been carrying around since he had found it twenty hours before. He pointed it at Sammy using his transgenic speed and pulled the trigger.

Sam had reacted quicker than a human, but not quick enough. The single bullet hole found its mark. Sam died with little flashes of light in his eyes and from his wound.

Alec felt wetness on his cheeks and didn't know why. It wasn't like he even liked –or knew- the psychopath.

"How come your gun worked and ours didn't?" Mole asked.

Alec used his usual defense mechanism and answered cockily. "You just didn't have the right stuff."

Alec didn't understand the guilt and sadness that flooded his being. He understood the relief, but not the sorrow. He retreated to a solitary, high place to think… and to clean his new gun. Somehow he knew that it would come in handy some day in the future.

*spn*da*


End file.
